Internal-combustion rotary engine



. Aug. 27 1929.,

H. L. WEED INTERNAL COMBUSTION ROTARY ENGINE Filed Nov. 28, 19 23 6SheetsSheet v XX/21212012.

: ATTORNEY.

Aug. 27, 1929. H. L WEED INTERNAL COMBUSTIONROTARY ENGINE- Filed Nov.28, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Aug. 27,1929.

H. L. WEED INTERNAL COMBUSTION ROTARY ENGINE Filed Nov. 2a, 1925 6Sheets-Sheet 5 I IINVIENTOR.

, A; TORNEY.

Aug. 27 19 29. H. L. WEED 1,726,461

' INTERNAL comaus'non ROTARY-Enema Filed Nov. 28', 1923 6 ShgetsSheet 4IN VEN TOR.

17 Ira Z H. L. WEED INTERNAL COMBUSTION ROTARY ENGINE gnwnto o Aug 27,1929. V H. L. WEED INTERNAL COMBUSTION ROTARY ENGINE Fi'led Nov. 2a,1923- G-Sheets-Shet 6 ud- M Patented Aug. 27, 1929-.

UNITED STATES HOWARD L. WEED, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

INTEMAL-COMBUSTION ROTARY ENGINE.

Application filed November 2a, 1923. Serial in. 677,367.

This invention consists of a rotary internal combustion engine of thesame general char: acter as that shown in my co-pending application -Serial Number 348,864, filed January 2, 1920, and like the engine thereillustrated it embodies a casing including an annular cylinder, a mainshaft mounted in the casing, a pair of rotors movable about the. mainshaft, and pistons within the cylinder and connected to the rotors andadapted to intermittently transmit force to the rotors because of theexpansion of anexplosive fluid between pistons on diiferent rotors whichcauses these pistons to separate and thereby forces one of said pistonsto travel faster than the other, these pistons traveling constantly inthe same direction but at varying speeds.

It further embodies a crank shaft carrier in the form of a pair of flywheels mounted on the main shaft, planetary crank shafts rotatablymounted in these flywheels, bearings slidable in radial slots in therotors for transmitting the force of the'rotors to these crank shafts,and gears for transmitting the force thus applied to the crank shafts,to the fly wheels and to the main shaft.

It further consists in the details of construction illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of this improved rotaryinternal combustion engine, a portion of the casing being broken away toshow an air passage. :Fig. 2 is an elevation of one half of the casingand cylinder showing the pistons therein, one of the rotors being insection. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the pistons shifted through apart of their travel. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the end of oneof the pistons. Fig. 5 is a central transverse section of the engine onthe line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an elevation of a fly-wheel. Fig. 7 isan elevation and Fig. 8 is a plan of a cooling device.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 3. Fig. 10 is a section of apacking ring for the rotors and of the spring ring to tension it.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

The present engine embodies a pair of.

half-casingsl and 2 pr( Iided with internal hubs 3 and 4 for the mainshaft 5, which extends out through the hub 3. Bearing bushings 6 and 7are preferably provided with proper helical oil grooves 8 while thebushing 7 has a closed outer end. A pack ing of any desired charactermay be provided to prevent leakage at the outer end of the bushing 6. Iprefer a conical male bearmentary female ring 10 slidable on the shaftand rotatable therewith, and bearing washers 11 pressed against it by ascrew plug 12 threaded into the flange 13. Oil ducts 14 are provided ateach bushing. The male ring 9 is preferably resilient and split toinsure proper pressure at all times.

A fiy-wheel 16 is shown integral main shaft. while a second fly-wheel 17is slid onto the shaft and secured to the first with the mg ring 9attached to the casing, a compleby the screws 18 which engage in thespacing bosses 19. These fly-wheels are the carriers for the crankshafts and are formed with recesses 20 (Fig. 6) to receive thestationary or abutment gears 21 which are attached to the hubs 3 and 4.

Mounted to rotate freely on 5 are two rotor disks 23 and 24,-having1stons 23* and 23 and '24: and 24 on t eir peripheries respectively.These pistons are provided with removable heads 25 which are grooved toreceive the piston rings 26 (Fig. 4). I prefer to have these rings splitand position them by means of pins 27.

It may be said at the beginning that the main shaft rotates at uniformspeed. The

rotors, however, move at regularly varying speeds but always in the samedirection so that the pistons of the two rotors approach each other andthen separate, to scavenge the cylinder, to draw in the charge, tocompress the charge, under the force of the explosion. It should befurther understood that the time which each piston requires to move fromor to the position occupled by the next adjacent piston in eitherdirection, is always the time required by the main shaft to rotateninety degrees. The distances traveled by the central points of thepistons during equal periods of time are indicated by the small circles57 in Figs. 2 and 3.

5 As indicated in Figs-2, 3,5 and 9, the cylinder is annular and formedof the two parts 28 and 29 which are integral with the two .halfcasings. The edges 30 and. 31 of the rotors are reduced and contact witheach other, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 9. A series of radial plates 32extend across from the cylinder to the inner walls 33 of and then beforced apart the main shaft 34 for spring rings such as shown in Fig.

10. These rings may also have circumferential shoulders 35 which engagethe shoulder 36 of the cylinder and the resilience of the three radialparts 37, .38 and 39 press the bearing rings '40 edges 30 and 31 of therotors and thus prevent leakage between the rotors and the cylinders.

The fly-wheels are positioned relative to the casing by means of therings 42 which are supported by washers 43. Each flywheel carries a pairof pins 44 which extend into the ends 45 of the crank shafts. Each crankshaft has a pair of disks 46 on which thesmall fly-wheels 47 aresecured, a pair of crank pins 48 and a connecting member 49 between thecrank pins. The rotors are'recessed'to receive the connecting member 49and the main fly-wheels have recesses 50 to receive the small planetaryflywheels.

The'advantages arising out of the use of these planetary fly-wheels 47are that they insure smooth actlonof the scotch yoke and 24?;and 23 2will; be seen thattflthe crank pins "are just through this they insure'smoothness of action of the rotors notwithstanding their varying speeds.These small fl" -wheels rotate at very high constant spee land cause aconstant and uniform pull between the gears. It will be noted that theseplanetary crank shafts have two diametrically opposed crank pins andthat therefore the crank shafts are balanced. The small fiy-wheelsthereon are not counterbalances but merely nsure evenness of action.

The rotors are also formed with' radial slots 52 through which the crankpins 48 extend and bearing blocks 53 for these crank pins are slidablein'these slots in the manner of the v,well known scotch yoke. Gears 54on the ends of the planetary crank shafts mesh withthe abutment gears21. I prefer to mount the wearing plates 55 in the slots 52 oftherotors.

As the pistons approach each other and then separate under the force ofthe e losion of the fuel, there is a tendency of rst one-rotor'and thenthe other to stop and even turn back, but the abutment gears on thecasin and the gears on the crank shafts render t is impossible. Fig. 3shows the arts at the instant of the explosion, the uel being compressedbetween the pistons The spark plug 56 receives nt from any desiredsource and as the k shafts rotate clockwise in Fig. 3, it

over art center.

. whiclifindicates the position of the against the reduced center ofeach piston at predetermined intervals oftime. That is, the timerequired for the piston 24 to moveto the position occupiedby the piston23 is the same as the time required by the latter, to move to theposition of piston 24. The time interval between adjacent points 57 isalways the same.

The casing'of ,this engine is filled with oil which is thrown outward bycentrifugal force into the space between the cylinder and the inner wall33 of two circumferential air passages. It then flows outward and theninward between the outer walls 58 of these air passages and along theinner .faces of the casing to the hub. As it flows inward, it carrieswithit the heat of the cylinder, giving off much of this heat to thewalls 33 and 58 of the air passages. The plates 32 also conduct heatfrom the cylinder to these air passages and tothe oil. 4 Oil passages orgrooves are provided as shown at each bearing surface so that the engineis fully lubricated.

Air enters the air passages at 60 and passes around in both directionsto the ports 61 which connect to the cylinder and permit air to flowthrough the tons 23 and 24 during the time of the exhaust, which isbeginning when the pistons are in the positions shown in Fig. 3. Theexhaust passage 62 is provided with an ejector nozzle 63 which causes afree flow of air through the inlet passage 60, the ports 61 and throughthe pipe 64. A carburetor is connected to the intake passage 65 and anydesired type may be used. Air for this carburetor is preferably takenfrom the passages 66, shown in Figs. 1 and 9, which air has been heatedby the fins 67 in the air passages and the walls 33 and 58 thereof. Thecylinder is therefore kept at a ,proper even temperature throughout bymeans of the plates 32 and the lubricating oil which transmit-the heatto the walls and fins of the air passages and the oil and the airpassages are kept sufficiently cool by means of the air drawn throughthem by the carburetor and by the ejector 63.

i As the connection between the pipe 64 and the ports 61 isinterruptedduring only very short periods of time because of the shortness of thepiston heads and the length of these ports 61, and because of theaspirating effect of the exhaust flowing through the exhaust pipe 70, asubstantially continuous and very plentiful flow of air is. maintainedthrough the air passages, which flow of air carries off the heat of thecylinder. The curvature of the air passages and of the fins thereininsures perfect contact between them and the air rushing through andthus ing H v I y creases the efli'ciency of this cooling.device. e showna series of small clrcles 57 Referring to Figs... 5 and- 9, a pair offlanges 72 are'shown integral with the easspace between the pising. Thelubricant passes inwardly toward the main shaft between these flangesand the outer casing until it reaches the large flywheels 16 and 17. Itthen flows outwardly by centrifugal force and a large pro ortion thereofreaches and enters the poo ets 73 (Fig. 6). The inertia of oil causes itto flow through the passages 74 to the peripheries of the fly-wheels,from which the oil 1s thrown out into the spaces between thecylinder'and air passages to again take up a portion of heat andtransfer it to the air passage.

Another portion of the oil which passes inward between the flanges 72and easing reaches the small holes 75 (Fig. 5) in the pins 44 carried bythe main fly-wheel,-flows I through the longitudinal bores of these pinsto lubricate the crank pins and scotch yoke and to thereafter pass tothe spaces around the crank shafts and gears and also passes to therotors. It not only passes out to a space between the rotors but alsobetween them and the packing rings, properly lubricating and cooling thevarious parts. Oil passages areshown where required but these may bechanged as desired. As the space within the casing is practically filledby the large fly-wheels, the rotors and the parts carried thereby, theamount of oil required to fill the casing is not large.

Any excess of oil which collects in the pockets for the smallfly-wheels'Z7 passes off through the passages 76 to the pockets 73 shownin Fig. 6. In order to balance the 5 vention as set pressure of oil onboth sides of the cylinder a passage such as shown at -the top of Fig. 9may be provided. This is formed by drilling the bosses '78 on theflanges 77 ofthe cylinder to receive a pin 79 which pin is formed with apassage 80 connecting with the the small openings 81 inthe cylinder. Theflanges of the cylinder are normally secured together by bolts 82. I

In order tosupply cool air to the inner walls 33 and 58 and fins 67 ofthe circumferentiakair passages, the humidifier shown in Figs. 7 and 8may be connected to one .or both of the intake openings 60. A receptacle84 is provided with a 'cover 85 which 1s perforated to receive thevertical tubes 86 through which air passes down into water contained inthe receptacle. This air rises and passes out through the discharge pipe87 attached to the cover, which pipe leads directly to an inlet 60.

The operation of this engine is substantially the same as that ofmy-said co-pending application. The details of construction maybechanged by those skilled in the art without'departing from the spirit ofmy inforth in the following claims. Iclaim:.g f '1. In an internalcombustion engine, a

,fc'ajsing-including anannular cylinder, 0. main.

shaftfmounted' n the casing, a pair of rotors mounted on the main shaftand freely rotatable thereon, a fly-wheel attached to the main shaft onone side of the rotors and a second fly-wheel on the other, means toconnect the I tendin through slots in the rotors, bearing blocks or thecrank pins slidably mounted in;

,the-slots in the rotors to transmit power therefrom to the crankshafts, gears-mounted on the crank shafts, and stationary gears meshingwith the gears on said crank shafts. 2. In an internal combustionengine, a casing mcludln an annular cylinder, amaln shaft mounted 1n thecasing, a pair of spaced and connected fly-wheels mounted on the shaftand rotatable therewith, a pair of rotors mounted on the shaft betweenthe flywheels and having slots to permit the passage of the connectingmeans for said flywheels and to permit a limited rotation between thefly-wheels and rotors and between the rotors, pairs of pistons withinthe cylinder attached to each rotor, a planetary crank shaft having apair of oppositely disposed crank pins, said crank shafts beingjournaled in said fly-wheels, each of said rotors having a radial slot,a slidable bearing for a crank pin in each of said slots, and gearsbetween the casing and crank shafts. v

3. In an internal combustion engine, a casing including an annularcylinder, a main shaft mounted in the casing, a pair of rotors mountedon the main shaft and freely rotatable thereon', a fly-wheel attached tothe main shaft on one side of the rotors and a second fly-wheel on theother, means to connect the fly-Wheels, a pair of pistons within thecylinder connected to each rotor, a plurality of crank shafts mounted insaid flywheels and having crank pins extending through slots in therotors, bearing'blocks for the crank pins slidably mounted in the slotsin the rotors to transmit power therefrom to the crank shafts, gearsmounted on the crank shafts, stationary gears meshing with the gearson'said crank shafts, and a pair of fly-wheels mounted on each crankshaft, said fly-wheels on the main shaft being recessed to receive thefly-wheels on the crank shafts. v

4. In an internal combustion engine, a casing and an annular cylinder, amain shaft mounted in the casing, a pair of rotors, a fiy-wheel attachedto the main shaft on each side of the rotors, planetary crank shaftsrotatably mounted in the fly-wheels, said rotors having slots to permitthe passage of the crank shafts, and bearing blocks slidably mounted insaid slotsto transmit power to the crank pinsgof thecrank shafts.

- 5. In an internal combustion engine, a

fiy-wheel attached to the main. shaft on each side of the rotors,planetarycrank shafts side of the rotors,

- each rotor,

the crank pins of the ceive said rotatably mounted in the fiy-wheels,said rotors havin slots to ermit the assage of the crank s afts, andcaring blocks slidably mounted in said slots to transmit power to crankshafts, each of the crank shafts having two crank pins, one for eachrotor, and a transverse member connecting said pins, said rotors beingrecessed to receive said transverse members between them. e

6. In an internal combustion engine, a casing and an annular cylinder, amain shaft 'mounted in the casing, a pair of rotors, a flywheel attachedto the planetary crank shafts ro- ,tatab1y mounted in the fly-wheels,said rotors having slots to permit the passage of the crank shafts,bearing blocks slidably mounted in said slots to transmit power to thecrank pinsof the crank shafts, each of the crank shafts having two crankpins, one for a transverse member connecting said rotors being recessedto retransverse members between them, and a pair of. smaller fly-Wheelsmo'untedon each crank shaft outside of the crank pins, said mainfly-wheels being recessed to receive the smaller fl -wheels.

7. In an internal combustion engine, a

said pins,

. casing and an annular cylinder, a main shaft of said crank shafts tothe mounted in the casin N a pair of spaced flywheels'attached to themain shaft, a pair of rotors between said fly-w-heels, pistons withinthe cylinder attached to'said rotors, said 'rotors having slots, postsand screws extendin between the fly-wheels through said slots,

planetary crank shafts mounted in said flywheels, and means connectingthe crank pins rotors.

8. In an internal combustion engine, a casing and an annular cylinder, amain shaft mounted in the casing, a pair of rotors, a flywheel attachedto the main shaft on each side of the rotors, planetary crank shaftsrotatably mounted in the fly-wheels, said rotors-having slots to permitthe passage of the crank shafts, and bearing blocks slidably mounted insaid slots to transmit power to ,he crank pins "of the crank shafts,each of th crank shafts having two crank pins, one for each rotor, and atransverse member connecting said pins, said rotors being recessed toreceive said transverse members between them, each of said crank shaftshaving crank pins for both of said rotors.

-side of the rotors, srotatably mounted 1n the rotors having slots toaring bloc slidof the crank shafts, and

main shaft on each formed with axial passages a pair of rotors, a.

ably mounted in said slots to transmit power to the crank pins of thecrank shafts, each of the crank shafts having two crank pins, one foreach rotor, and a transverse member connecting said pins, said rotorsbeingre cessed to receive said transverse members between them, and apair of fly-wheels mounted on each crank shaft.

10. In a rotary internal combustion engine, the combination of anannular cylinder, means to support the same, a pair of rotors, pistonswithin the cylinder and connected to said rotors, a packing ringengaging the outer side of each "rotor at its periphery, and a resilientring to press each 0 packing ring against its rotor and comprising alurality of radial members connected by cy indrical members, one edge ofthe outermost of the radial members bearing against shoulders formed onsaid supporting means.

11. In a rotary internal combustion engine, the combination of anannular cylinder, means to support the same, a pair of rotors, pistonswithin the cylinder, and connected to said rotors, a packing ringengaging the outer side of each rotor at its periphery, and a resilientring to press each packing ring against its rotor and comprising aplurahty of radial members connected by cylindrical members, one edge ofthe outermost of the radial members bearing against shoulders formed onsaid su porting means, said packing rings and resilient rings being forlubricant. 12. In a rotary internal combustion engine,

g the combination of an annular cylinder, a v complete and continuousannular air passage adjacent each side thereof, plates connecting theinner walls of said passage to the cylinder, said air passages havingdischarge ports connecting to said cylinder and diametrically oppositeinlet ports, an exhaust passage and scavenging ports connecting to saidcylinder, and an ejector connecting the exhaust passage andthescavenglng port to draw air into the cylinder from the air passages.

13. In a rotary internal combustion engine, the combination of anannularcylinder, a complete and continuous annular air passage adjacenteachside thereof, plates connecting the inner walls of said /passage tothe cylinder, said air passages having discharge ports connecting tosaid cylinder and diametrically opposite inlet ports, an

14. In a rotary internal combustion engine,

the combination of an annular cylinder, a

complete and continuous annular air passage adjacent each side thereof,plates connecting the inner Walls of said passage to the cylinder, saidair passages having discharge ports connecting to said cylinder anddiametrically opposite inlet ports, an exhaust passage and scavengingports connecting to saidcylinder, an ejector connecting the exhaustpassage and the scavenging. port to draw air into the cylinder from theair passages, and a humidifier connected to the intake opening of theair passageto supply cool air thereto whereby the heat of the cylindermay be reduced. Y 4

15. In a rotary internal combustion engine, the combination of anannular cylinder, a complete and continuous annular air passage adjacenteach side thereof, plates connecting, the inner walls of said passage tothe cylinder, said air passages having discharge ports connecting tosaid cylinder and diametrically opposite inlet ports, an exhaust passageand scavenging ports conthe air passages,

bureter and said air passages having disadapted to connect to the 1charge passages carbureter to supply heated air thereto.

16. In a rotary internal combustion engine, the combination of anannular cylinder and a casing to support the same, an

annular air passage withm the casing on each side of said cylinder andspaced from both the casing and cylinder to leave passages forlubricating oil, plates between the cylinder and the walls of the airpassage to conduct heat from one to the ot er and to the oil passingbetween them, rotors and flywheels within the casing to cause the" oilto flow outward to the cylinder by centrifugal force, and flanges withinthe casing to form passages for the inward flow ofthe oil.

HOWARD L. WEED.

